TYRES AND RAIN MAKE STRATEGY THE KEY FACTOR IN FORMULA 2 |
The strategic opportunities created by the new Pirelli 18-inch tyres helped deliver two incredibly exciting Formula 2 races at the Hungaroring. Mixed weather also contributed to the close competition, with two different strategies in Sunday’s sprint race meaning that the winner was only decided at the final corner. The action was just as tactical on Saturday, with one bold strategy proving to be distinctly faster than the run plan selected by the top 10 on the grid – proving that it pays to think outside of the box. FORMULA 2 Feature Race, the winner: Robert Shwartzman claimed his second successive F2 feature race win for Prema Racing – this time from 11th on the grid. He was the highest-placed driver to start on the medium tyre, while everyone in the top 10 chose to start on the soft. Shwartzman took the lead when those ahead pitted and was then able to match their pace despite being on older tyres. After he pitted for soft tyres with 10 laps remaining, he used his fresh rubber to open up a 15-second winning margin. Nikita Mazepin (Hitech GP) used a similar strategy to finish in second place from 16th on the grid, passing Prema’s Mick Schumacher on the penultimate lap. Robert Shwartzman: “The win was a little bit unexpected. My start was mega and I think I passed five cars in the first two corners. Everyone on the other strategy pitted and I stayed out as long as possible. After my stop I had a big lock up, which was a big mistake, because the tyres were cold. After that, I had a lot of vibration, but the tyres were still a lot better than the guys in front of me.” Feature Race, alternative strategy: Among the drivers who started on the soft tyres, UNI Virtuosi’s Callum Ilott led early on from DAMS driver Dan Ticktum, both pitting soon after the window opened on lap six. Running third, Schumacher went until the end of lap 12 and showed stronger pace on the medium tyres to later reclaim the lead, eventually finishing third. Sprint Race, the winner: Overnight rain on Sunday led to an extremely ‘green’ and slippery track. Unusually, around half the field decided to take the start on soft tyres: probably with the intention of making a pit stop from the outset (which is not compulsory in the sprint race). Luca Ghiotto took Hitech GP’s first win on medium tyres without pitting, after all his rivals stopped for a change of tyres in the middle of the race. Ilott led Ghiotto from pole before switching from mediums to softs after 17 laps. Over the final 11 laps, Ilott was four seconds a lap quicker than Ghiotto and caught him on the final lap, but Ghiotto held on by just 0.4 seconds. FORMULA 3 Race 1, the winner: ART’s Theo Pourchaire claimed his second straight win in a race that began with a damp track but all cars on slick tyres. Starting third, Pourchaire gained the lead when the two drivers ahead of him collided at the first corner. Following a red flag, Pourchaire pulled away from his rivals with excellent pace on the medium tyres, finishing nearly 12 seconds ahead of second-placed Oscar Piastri (Prema Racing). Race 2, the winner: David Beckmann took victory on a wet track for Trident. After starting on pole, Beckmann was passed by Hitech’s Dennis Hauger, who built a gap but later struggled for pace. Bent Viscaal (MP Motorsport) charged into the lead but received two five-second penalties, dropping him to 17th following a late safety car and giving the win to Beckmann, who had managed to re-pass Hauger. PIRELLI QUOTE Pirelli’s head of F1 and car racing Mario Isola: “Strategy is always key to Formula 2, but this time it was at the very heart of the action. The result was two stunning races, which were only decided at the very end. Having the right strategy to overcome tyre degradation was key: unusually on Sunday as well as on Saturday. In the cool conditions we saw some graining on the medium tyre in particular, but Ghiotto still mastered it perfectly on Sunday to seal a thrilling victory. In both championships we enjoyed exciting and unpredictable races, helped by the tyre nominations and specifications in each Formula 1 feeder series this year.” |
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João Raposo
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